A Day of Prayer with the Renewal of Baptismal Promises
[FR]
LOUVAIN, Belgium - On Tuesday, 16 December, we—the Montfortians, more specifically the young missionaries Frs. Ghislain KASEREKA, SMM, Aimé KAMANDA, SMM and Nepo JAMES, SMM—organized a day of reflection on the theme, ‘Born Again, also Now and Today.’ The gathering took place in the pastoral zone of Bree, in the Diocese of Hasselt. In fact, this day of reflection was organised in collaboration with our Montfort prayer group in Bree, which has been meeting monthly for moments of prayer for the past 40 years.
After a warm welcome from several members of the group, participants were invited to enjoy hot coffee in the hall, which had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Gradually, more people arrived, and at 10:30 a.m., the day’s programme officially began with morning prayer led by Fr. Aimé.
This prayer was followed by a song led by Fr. Nepo, after which he offered a reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation. In his talk, he emphasised Mary’s role in this mystery and referred to the teachings of various Church Fathers. This was followed by a break and a time of group discussion focused on preparations for Christmas. After this moment of sharing, everyone enjoyed the picnic they had brought, accompanied by a cup of coffee generously offered by the prayer group. The afternoon continued with the praying of the rosary, led by Fr. Gianluca, the spiritual director of the prayer group in Bree.
The Marian prayer was immediately followed by a reflection by Fr. Ghislain on the necessity of the renewal of baptismal vows. He highlighted the importance of fidelity to these vows for every Christian, as taught by Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. This reflection was followed by the renewal of baptismal promises, during which participants took part in a short indoor procession. Walking in line, they were invited to venerate the Bible and an image of Mary by placing their hands upon them, and then to dip their hands into the water, both in remembrance of their baptism and as a sign of the renewal of their baptismal promises.
The day concluded with a sung Holy Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Fr. Nepo. Following the celebration, participants bid farewell, carrying with them the hope of gathering again soon for an another day of reflection and prayer. Ten members of the prayer group attended this day of reflection, accompanied by three Montfortians and the local priest, Father Gianluca. We give thanks to the Lord for His protection and guidance, and we are grateful to all who contributed to making this day of prayer and reflection both memorable and meaningful—a fitting preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
Ghislain KASEREKA, SMM
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